The victorian naturalist

The

Naturalist

Volume 131 (2)

April 2014

From the Editors

In this issue, we present two articles that each deal with a rare plant. When we hear a plant is rare,
we often think it must be endangered, but this is not necessarily the case. Being rare and being
endangered are not equivalent states. Rarity for a species may be quite normal. So, what does being
rare, for a plant, really mean? This has been argued over a long period of time. Probably the most
widely accepted classification of rarity is that of Rabinowitz, which reflects three spatial charac-
teristics: population size, ecological specialisation and geographic range. Some authorities include
the frequency of occupancy in suitable habitats. Temporal rarity also is a consideration. Some
species are common following fire but become rare with time, as conditions change and become
unsuitable - until after the next fire event.

Unfortunately, for many rare plants, being rare is because they are under some type of threat and
face the potential of extinction. Yet, for a lot of these plants, we have no idea of the importance of
their role in the environment. Nor do we notice their passing. It is pleasing, therefore, that we can
present these two articles and highlight the need to be more aware of what is around us.

The Victorian Naturalist

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Volume 131 (2) 2014

April

Victor

Natura

Editors: Anne Morton, Gary Presland, Maria Gibson

Editorial Assistant: Virgil Hubregtse

From the Editors 34

Research Report Historical responses of distance between leaf teeth in the cool temperate
rainforest tree, Austral Mulberry Hedycarya angustifolia A. Cunn. from

Victorian herbarium specimens by Mark J Scarr and Jana Cocking 36

Contributions The discovery of the Southern Spider-orchid Caladenia australis G.W. Carr

in Tasmania in 1968 and the later searches by John Whinray 40

A review of the conservation ecology of Round-leaf Pomaderris

Pomaderris vacciniifolia E Muell. ex Reissek (Rhamnaceae) by

John Patykowski, Maria Gibson and Matt Dell 44

Naturalist Notes The name game by Angus Martin 52

Kerfuffle in the treetops by Ken Harris 54

Birds nest in birdbath! by Virgil Hubregtse 55

Book Reviews Fur Seals and Sea Lions by Roger Kirkwood and Simon Goldsworthy,

reviewed by Nicole Schumann 57

Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia by Marion Anstis, reviewed by

Nick Clemann 38

ISSN 0042-5184

Front cover: Caladenia australis Southern Spider-orchid. Photo by Gary Backhouse. See page 40.
Back cover: Pomaderris vacciniifolia Round-leaf Pomaderris. Photo by John Patykowski. See page
44.

Research Report

Historical responses of distance between leaf teeth in the cool
temperate rainforest tree Austral Mulberry Hedycarya angustifolia
A. Cunn. from Victorian herbarium specimens

Mark J Scarr and Jana Cocking

School of Engineering and Science (Environmental Management), Victoria University,
PO Box 14428 (Werribee), MCMC, Victoria 8001. Email: mark.scarr@vu.edu.au

Abstract

Distance between leaf teeth was examined in the cool temperate rainforest tree Austral Mulberry Hedycarya
angustifolia A. Cunn. to determine whether this leal character has the potential to be used as an environmental
proxy. Photometric analysis was undertaken from Victorian herbarium -lodged specimens of H. angustifolia
from 1852 to 2010. Regression analysis revealed no significant change in mean distance between leaf teeth in
response to an increase of 0.9°C in mean annual temperature (MAT). From this preliminary analysis, distance
between leaf teeth appears to be non-responsive to changes in MAT. It is possible that increases in MAT over
the study period were insufficient to elicit a response in this leaf character, or that other environmental factors
and/or intrinsic variation within this species may obscure any possible MAT signal. Future studies will be re-
quired to identify any probable drivers of this leaf character. (The Victorian Naturalist 131 (2) 2014, 36-39)

Keywords: Leaf teeth, Hedycarya angustifolia , mean annual temperature, Herbaria, environmental
proxy

Introduction

Leaf morphology has long been found to re-
spond to changing abiotic factors over envi-
ronmental gradients in an attempt to maximise
photosynthetic gains (CO, movement into the
plant) and minimise transpirational losses (wa-
ter loss from the plant via evaporation) (Bailey
and Sinnott 1916; Givnish and Vermiej 1976).
Changing abiotic factors such as increasing
mean annual temperature (MAT) will increase
transpirational losses and increase plant water
stress, resulting in alteration to leaf form to re-
duce the effect of these stressors (Tricker et al
2005). Altering the distance between leaf teeth
may reduce transpiration rate by modifying the
leaf boundary layer. The leaf boundary layer is
a layer of static air over the leaf surface which
provides a barrier to gas exchange (Schuepp
1993). Increasing the distance between leaf
teeth does enhance boundary layer thickness
and reduces transpirational losses by increas-
ing the ‘barrier width’.

If a leaf character responds in a predict-
able manner to an environmental variable, i.e.
MAT, then this response could be employed as
a proxy for that factor. Biological proxies have
been successfully used to gain much informa-
tion about previous climatic conditions, which
may enhance our understanding of how future

climate change may impact current ecosystems
(Wing and Greenwood 1993; Royer et al. 2009).
Recent studies have found leaf teeth characters,
such as teeth number, size and area, are respon-
sive to temperature and water availability (Hi-
nojosa et al. 2011; Peppe et al. 2011; Royer et
al. 2009). Scarr (1997) demonstrated that mean
distance between leaf teeth in Austral Mulberry
Hedycarya angustifolia A. Cunn. responded
significantly to temperature factors but, to date,
there have been no published studies examin-
ing the potential application of this leaf charac-
ter as an environmental proxy.

Herbarium specimens provide a valuable re-
source that allows the examination of histori-
cal responses in foliar physiognomy (leaf form)
over multi-generational time-scales. If there is a
historical change in distance between leaf teeth
in H. angustifolia across years of collection and
if this correlates to increasing MAT, then this
relationship may be assessed in multiple species
as a standard environmental proxy measure in
palaeoclimatological investigations. The aim of
this study is to determine if distance between
leaf teeth in herbarium-lodged Victorian speci-
mens of the cool temperate rainforest tree, H.
angustifolia, demonstrates historical change

36

The Victorian Naturalist

Research Report

with particular focus on increasing MAT over
the years of collection.

Methods

All leaf specimens were obtained from the Na-
tional Herbarium of Victoria in Melbourne,
Australia (MEL) spanning from 1852 to 2010.
Sampling included creating a database for each
herbarium sheet present in the MEL collec-
tions containing H. angustifolia. Information
recorded from each herbarium sheet included
(if available): sheet number, year of collection,
latitude and longitude, elevation, branch tip
present, flowers present and leaf number.

Due to limited research funding, the selection
strategy was to sample one herbarium sheet per
decade (if available) for the test species. Her-
barium sheets were preferentially selected if a)
sheets were from similar locations (to reduce
genotypic variation), b) contained large num-
bers of leaves, and c) the specimen consisted
of the branch tip with flowers present; which
ensured that only sun leaves were sampled.
Within each herbarium sheet, up to four leaves
were photographed with a scale bar to be used
for further photometric analysis (Fig. 1 ).

Images of sampled specimens were saved elec-
tronically as compressed TIFF files using the
image conversion program Image Converter
Plus. These TIFF images were loaded into Sci-
onlmage, an image analysis program, where the
distance between every leaf tooth and its neigh-
bour over the leaf margin were recorded in mil-
limetres (mm). Individual distance measure-
ments between teeth per leaf were recorded and

the overall mean distance between leaf teeth per
herbarium sheet was calculated. To determine
if mean distance between leaf teeth significantly
altered in response to year of collection and
MAT, least squares linear regression was con-
ducted using Predictive Analysis Software v20
software (SPSS Inc.). All statistical analyses were
conducted at an alpha level of 0.05.

Results

Herbarium sheets of H. angustifolia spanning
12 decades were sampled from 1852 to 2010
(Table 1), which corresponded to an increase in
mean annual temperature (MAT) of 0.9°C over
the last half of the previous century (CSIRO
and BoM 2007). Mean distance between teeth
varied from 6.55 mm in 1852 to 6.03 mm in
2010, with a maximum reading of 7.73 mm in
1929 and a minimum value 4.81 mm in 1947.

Least squares linear regression analysis dem-
onstrated no significant relationship (P > 0.05)
between mean distance between teeth and year
of collection over the 158-year sampling period
(Fig. 2a). In addition, no significant change
(P > 0.05) was found in mean distance between
teeth when the dataset was trimmed to exam-
ine the 0.9°C increase in MAT since the 1950s
(CSIRO and BoM 2007) (Fig. 2b).

Discussion

Mean distance between leaf teeth was found
non-responsive across years of collection or
to increasing MAT in herbarium-lodged Vic-
torian specimens of H. angustifolia . Therefore,
based on this current dataset, the hypothesis

Fig. 1 . An example leaf from a herbarium specimen
of Hedycarya angustifolia used for photometric anal-
ysis. Photo by J Cocking 2012.

Table 1. Collection year of sampled herbarium sheets
of Hedycarya angustifolia and associated mean dis-
tance between leaf teeth (mm) ± 1 standard error
(S.E.).

Year

Mean

S.E.

1852

6.55

2.20

1888

7.00

2.00

1897

6.19

1.48

1901

5.87

1.74

1915

5.03

1.52

1929

7.73

2.42

1947

4.81

1.45

1952

6.06

1.56

1969

6.04

1.99

1979

6.76

1.62

2000

6.75

1.61

2010

6.03

1.11

Vol 131 (2) 2014

37

Research Report

Fig. 2. Scattergranis with fitted linear trendlines for mean distance between leaf teeth versus a) year of collec-
tion from 1852 to 2010 (y = -0.007x + 7.6027, R 2 = 0.0018, P > 0.05) and b) year of collection from 1952 to 2010
(y = 0.0044x + 2.4163, R 2 - 0.0698, P > 0.05). Standard error bars ± 1 S.E.

that distance between leaf teeth would increase
as a response to long-term increasing MAT can
be rejected. It may then be inferred that there
was no subsequent adjustment in leaf bound-
ary layer width in response to this environ-
mental stressor; however, when the dataset was
trimmed to include only samples correlating
to the 0.9°C increase in MAT since the 1950s
the fitted trendline sloped upwards (Fig. 2b),
indicating an increase in distance between leaf
teeth, albeit insignificant. This lack of signifi-
cant alteration to distance between leaf teeth
may be attributed to, in part, the high degree of
variation about the mean as can be seen from
the standard error bar width (Fig. 2b).

Over the 158-year sampling period there is
a large degree of scatter above and below the
fitted trendline (Fig. 2a), which showed no
significant change in distance between teeth
over this temporal transect, a period that has
experienced continual increase in climatic fac-
tors such as MAT and concentration of CO,
(Etheridge et al 1996; CSIRO and BoM 2007)“
T his suggests that other environmental and/or
intrinsic (within -species) factors may be the
primary drivers controlling this leaf character.
One collection variable that may impact upon
leaf form is altitude at which the herbarium
specimens were collected. Variation in altitude
affects multiple environmental factors that
influence leaf development, growth and pho-
tosynthetic potential (Crawford 1989; Scarr
1997). Environmental factors that alter with
altitude are temperature, C0 2 contration, water
and nutrient availability, soil type, wind speed

and light levels (Korner and Cochrane 1985;
Woodward 1986; Foreman and Walsh 1993).
Aspect is another factor that will influence wa-
ter availability at high altitudes, particularly on
the leeward side of a range in the rain shadow,
and thus leaf form may be affected.

Intrinsic variation may also dampen any
environmental signature in leaf form within
a dataset. Intrinsic variation is influenced by
genotypic variability (i.e. alterations to gene
expression) which results in differing pheno-
types (physical features of the leaf). Thus, the
influence of genotypic variation may be more
significant in determining leaf phenotype than
environmental variables, with considerable ge-
netic variation being observed within a single
location and within a single tree (Beerling and
Chaloner 1993; Fordyce et al. 1995; James and
Bell 1995). The lack of a significant alteration to
the distance between leaf teeth in H. angustifo-
lia to increasing MAT may be attributed to the
large genotypic variation in this species.

Variation in environmental factors associ-
ated with altitude at which specimens grew,
and intrinsic variation, may be mitigated by
appropriate sampling strategies, that is, by
sampling specimens collected from the same
area at a similar elevation; however, an inher-
ent problem in using herbaria is that the earlier
lodged specimens lack comprehensive collec-
tion information on herbarium sheets. As a
result, a researcher cannot completely remove
all confounding variables associated with vary-
ing collection locations when using herbaria to
establish a temporal transect.

38

The Victorian Naturalist

Research Report

Future research to establish if distance be-
tween leaf teeth in H. angustifolia can, in fact,
respond to increasing MAT would be to employ
growth chambers where plants can be reared in
a controlled environment in which only tem-
perature has been varied. Sampling of herbaria
may be improved by trimming the dataset to
include only herbarium sheets of known loca-
tions and altitude to reduce the potential impact
of intrinsic variation upon this leaf character.
Also, sampling herbaria over a latitudinal gra-
dient (i.e. from Tasmania to Queensland) will
establish a change in MAT of approximately
4°C, which may be sufficient to elicit significant
alterations to leaf form. Finally, increasing the
leaf number sampled per herbarium sheet may
reduce scatter about the mean and, potentially,
could result in a significant response being ob-
served in distance between leaf teeth.

In conclusion, distance between leaf teeth
from herbarium-lodged Victorian specimens
of the cool temperate rainforest tree, H. angus-
tifolia , does not appear to track changing MAT.
But when the dataset was trimmed to include a
period of rapid MAT increase, there was a posi-
tive trend with distance between leaf teeth, al-
though not statistically significantly. Therefore,
there may still be the potential to employ this
leaf character as an environmental proxy but
further research will be required to validate
this.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Australian Geo-
graphic Society for providing MJS with an AG Seed
Grant to undertake this research.

References

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of certain types of angiosperm leaves. American Journal of
Botany 3, 24-39.

Beerling D and Chaloner W ( 1 993) The impact of atmos-
pheric CO, and temperature change on stomatal density:
observations from Quercus robur lam mas leaves. Annals of
Botany 71,231-235.

Crawford R (1989) Studies in plant survival. (Blackwood Sci-
entific: UK)

CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology (2007) Climate change in
Australia: Technical Paper. (CSIRO: Victoria)

Etheridge DL, Steele L, Langenfelds R, Francey R, Barnola )
and Morgan V (1996) Natural and anthropogenic changes
in atmospheric CO., over the last 1000 years from air in
Antarctic ice and firn. Journal of Geophysical Research 101 ,
4115-4128.

Fordyce I, Duff G and Eamus D (1995) The ecophysiology
of Allosyncarpia ternata (Myrtaceae) in northern Australia:
tree physiognomy, leaf characteristics and assimilation at
contrasting sites. Australian Journal of Botany 43, 367-
377.

Foreman D and Walsh N (1993) Flora of Victoria. Vol 1.
(Inkata: Melbourne)

Givnish TJ and Vermiej GJ (1976) Sizes and Shapes in Liane
Leaves. American Naturalist 1 10, 743-779.

Greenwood D (1992) Taphonomic constraints on foliar
physiognomic interpretations of Late Cretaceous and Ter-
tiary palaeoclimate5. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynol-
ogy 71, 149-190.

Hinojosa L, P£re/. F, Gaxiola A and Sandoval 1(2011) Histori-
cal and phylogenetic constraints on the incidence of entire
leaf margins: insights from a new South American model.
Global Ecology and Biogeography 20, 380-390.

James S and Bell D (1995) Morphology and anatomy of leaves
of Eucalyptus camaldulensis clones: variation between
geographically separated locations. Australian Journal of
Botany 43, 415-433.

Korner C and Cochrane P (1985) Stomatal responses and
water relations of Eucalyptus pauciflora in summer along
an elevational gradient. Oecologia 66, 443-455.

Peppe D, Royer D, Cariglino B, Oliver S, Newman S, height
E, Enikolopov G, Fernandez-Burgos M, Herrera F, Adams
J, Correa H, Currano E, Erickson J, Hinojosa I., Hoganson
J, iglesias A. Jaramillo C, Johnson K, Jordan G, Kraft N,
Lovelock E, Lusk C, Niinemets U, Penuelas 1, Rapson G,
Wing S and Wright | (2011) Sensitivity of leaf size and
shape to climate: global patterns and paleoclimatic applica-
tions. New Phytologist 190, 724-739.

Royer D, Kooyman R, Little S and Will' P (2009). Ecology of
leaf teeth: a multi-site analysis from an Australian subtropi-
cal rainforest. American Journal of Botany 96, 738 -750.

Scarr M (1997) Leaf morphological variation in the rainforest
- wet sclerophyllous tree Hedy car ya angustifolia A. Cunn.
(Monimaceae) to environmental gradients. (Unpublished
Hons Thesis, Victoria University).

Schuepp P (1993) Transley Review No. 59. Leaf Boundary
Layers. New Phytologist 125, 477-507.

Tricker P, Trewin H, Kull O, Clarkson G, Eensalu E, Tallis
M, Colella A, Doncaster C, Sabatti M and Taylor G (2005)
Stomatal conductance and not stomatal density determines
the long-term reduction in leal transpiration of poplar in
elevated CO,. Oecologia 143, 652-660.

Vogel S (1970)' Convective cooling at low air speeds and the
shapes of broad leaves. Journal of Experimental Botany 21,
91-101.

Wing S and Greenwood D (1993) Fossils and fossil climate:
the case for equitable continental interiors in the Eocene.
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220-234.

Wolfe J (1979) Temperature parameters of humid to mesic
forests of easLern Asia and relations to forests of other
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Oecologia 70, 580-586.

Received 26 April 2013; accepted 17 October 2013

Vol 131 (2) 2014

39

Contributions

The discovery of the Southern Spider-orchid Caladenia australis
G.W. Carr in Tasmania in 1968 and the later searches

John Whinray

Flinders Island, Tasmania 7255

Abstract

A single plant of the Southern Spider-orchid Caladenia australis G.W. Carr was collected beside Lady Barron
foreshore on Flinders Island in November 1968. It remains the sole Tasmanian record to date. The species is
scheduled under the Tasmanian threatened Species Protection Act 1995 as endangered. Its Tasmanian habitat is
described and the later searches for the species are dealt with. 'The restricted occurrence of four other Spider-
orchids, each also found just once on Flinders Island, is detailed. (7 he Victorian Naturalist 131 (2) 2014, 40-43)

Key Words: Flinders Island, endangered and extinct Tasmanian orchids

Locality and Habitat

Lady Barron is the south-eastern village of
Flinders Island. Its coast is mainly granite and
the land rises gradually to the twin knolls — also
granite — of Vinegar Hill. Both are about 80 m
high. Parts of the hill have a veneer of very old,
planed-down sand dunes.

The foreshore of the core of the village is gran-
ite and Water-rock Point — at the western end of
Yellow Beach— has a large, low granite outcrop
that rises only about a metre above the local
slope. Most of its margin shelves gradually and
so carries soil that starts as very shallow and
then increases in depth to a varying degree. For
a period the outcrop was prepared as a water-
rock but its small dam was destroyed when a
bulldozer cleared the rocks southern base.

The fringing vegetation— where it has not been
destroyed by later clearing — is mainly Rock Tea
tree Kunzea ambigua , a hardy shrub that toler-
ates the often drouthy conditions of the shal-
low edges of granite outcrops on Flinders and
Cape Barren Islands. The rock and its fringe
are about 20 by 15 m. A single plant of a Spi-
der-orchid, Caladenia sp., was collected on an
edge of the outcrop on the 9 November 1968.
It was recorded at the time as ‘not clavigera.
It had one flower and the leaf had been eaten.
There were no shrubs in the understorey of the
Rock Teatree. The extra orchids present were
the Mayfly Orchid Acianthus caudatus and Ma-
roonhood Pterostylis peduncidata. The other
herbs were Small Poranthera Poranthera mi -
crophylla, Austral Carrot Daucus glochidiatus,
Errienellam Drosera auriculata, Silvery Hair-

grass *Aira caryophyllea, Flat-weed or Bears-
ear 'Hypochoeris radicata and a Fescue * Vulpia
sp. Hie asterisks mark the exotic plants. The
Rock Teatree gave way to Paperbark Melaleuca
ericifolia , Smooth Teatree Leptospermum laevi-
gatum and Cape Barren Pine Callitris rhomboi-
dea in the deeper soil just west of the edge of
the outcrop.

The specimen from Lady Barron became
the Southern Spider-orchid Caladenia austra-
lis when Carr (1991: 2-3) named the species
(Fig. 1).

The Searches of Vinegar Hill

As there was no later trace of the Southern Spi-
der-orchid at the remembered site, the author
decided to search Vinegar Hill as a last resort.
Only six of the 15 rambles to the hill between
1997 and 2000 were made at a time when ca-
ladenias, other than the common Pink Fingers
Caladenia carnea , could be determined. Larger
leaves, including those of Spider-orchids, were
found. Hie commonest leaf belonged to the
Green-comb Spider-orchid Caladenia dila-
tata. About a hundred plants were examined
when flowering or when their buds were large
enough to be examined. They occurred where
the understorey was open or where shrubs were
dominant but not dense. These spots included
the mid south-western slope of the western
knoll, the northern slope of both knolls and an
area of gently sloping stone and shallow soil,
with Rock Teatree, on the upper eastern side of
the summits knoll.

40

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

Fig. J. Southern Spider-orchid Caladenia australis.
Reproduced with permission from Walsh and En-
twisle (1994: 783).

Pink Fairies Caladenia latifolia formed a tiny
patch, of about 12 plants, on the upper south-
western slope of the western knoll. Hares Ears
Leptoceras menziesii occurred in a small pocket
of shallow soil of a swelling outcrop of the mid
south-western slope of the western knoll and in
the shallow soil of two outcrops that just broke
the surface on the upper northern slope, and
one on the upper southern slope, of that knoll.
The final site was amongst scattered small gran-
ite blocks on the mid northern slope of the hill.
The only prior record of Hare s Ears for Flinders
Island was a collection made beside North Pats
River on the authors bush block after the bush-
fire of late January 1966.

The site in 2009

The water-rock had been visited at least eight
times since the collection was made but it was
not until late in 2009 that the field notes, and
sketch-map, of 1968 were examined carefully.
Before that the remembered site and vicinity
of the Southern Spider-orchid, some dsitance
away from the actual site, were checked.

It seems likely that the water-rock had been
burnt a few years prior to the visit of late 1968.

The sketch-map drawn then showed the stone
to be more extensive than is obvious now.
The Rock Teatree had reached over six metres
in height by 2009. There was no trace of any
Spider-orchid plants within 10 metres of the
mapped site. Green-comb Spider-orchids were
found about 20 metres east in shallow soil un-
der Rock Teatree. This species was sketched in
the field notes of 1968 and has been recorded
on many occasions since then.

At the time of collection, the water- rock was
part of a Crown land block between Pot Boil
Road — the first road to the north— and the
foreshore. It was then leased and cleared ex-
cept for the rock and most of its fringe. Subse-
quently the block was subdivided in three, and
sold, by the Lands Department. The rock forms
the southern end of the central block. Its south-
eastern edge was cleared when a vehicular track
was run to the west at about a third of the way
up from the outcrop’s southern end.

The rock and its fringing Teatree had the rich-
est orchid flora that the author has found on
any small area of the 100 islands visited so far
in Banks and eastern Bass Straits. The 18 spe-
cies are listed in the Appendix to preserve, on
paper, the names of plants that are all likely to
perish through clearing — some wood-cutting
has been done recently— and the continuing
influx of weeds.

The final searches

Thirteen visits were made to Water-rock Point
between 18 July and 2 December 2012. Seven
of the eight sites of Spider-orchid leaves were
novel to the author, and all were checked re-
peatedly. The number of plants that could
be identified at a site ranged from one to 32.
The smallest site held five leaves and two bud-
ding plants. The author covered the latter with
branches but, during a later inspection, one lot
was not replaced carefully and the plants stem
and bud were eaten. The other plant flowered
later. Eighty-two plants could be determined
and all were Green-comb Spider-orchids.
Twenty-two other plants formed only leaves.
A further four formed stems and buds but the
latter were so small when the plants shrivelled
that they could not be determined. One plant
that might have developed was nibbled. Three
budding plants that were not covered beside

Vol 131 (2) 2014

41

Contributions

one site disappeared without the slightest trace.
The identified plants greatly out-numbered the
others and so it seems likely that the latter were
probably the same species.

Water-rock Point was visited on 26 October,
and twice in late November 2013. A few novel
sites of spider-orchids were found, mainly on
the foreshore. As well, several known occur-
rences had more flowers than last year. The new
plants that could be named totalled 46 and all
were Green-comb Spider-orchids. The closed
flowers of two plants could not be determined.
One was in a group of six flowering Green-
Comb Spider-orchids. The other was part of a
small patch of one flowering Green-comb Spi-
der-orchid and eight spider-orchid leaves. The
new records brought the number of plants that
could be identified in 2012 and 2013 to 128. So
the Southern Spider-orchid is still elusive and
that seems unlikely to change.

The Australian mainland range of the South-
ern Spider-orchid

In Victoria, according to Backhouse and Jeanes
(1995: 56), the species: ‘Favours woodlands and
open forests, usually with a heathy understo-
rey. Substrates are well- drained sand and clay
loams. 5

Later Jeanes and Backhouse (2006: 49) noted
that the orchid occurs ‘...in coastal and hinter-
land areas of southern Victoria, east from Port
Campbell, growing in heath, heathy woodland
and lowland forest. 5 They added that it is a
rare, poorly known orchid . . . 5

Discussion

Spider-orchids, other than the Blunt-tipped Spi-
der-orchid C. clavigera, seem to be either very
rare or very restricted in their range on Flinders
Island. The author has found the Green-comb
Spider-orchid at only two sites away from the
Lady Barron-Vinegar Hill area. Several popu-
lations were recorded on the old consolidated
dune that forms the northern shore of Bennetts
Lagoon. There are also about 50 plants amongst
Rock Teatree on shallow soil beside the track
to Strzelecki Peaks where it passes through
the freehold land by the western boundary of
Strzelecki National Park.

Lady Barron foreshore was first visited by the
author in September 1965 and the very sparse

notes — several common orchid genera were
not even known by him at that time— include a
Spider-orchid. The specimen was examined by
JH Willis at the National Herbarium of Victoria
on 6 June 1 966. He remarked that it was ‘Appar-
ently Caladenia patersonii (Common Spider-
orchid), but a poor, battered specimen. If there
were clubs on the end of the sepals, it would be
a form of C. reticulata \ CSIRO botanist Dr Mark
Clements agreed with this assessment when he
examined the specimen alter it was lodged at
the Australian National Herbarium (CANB) (Jo
Palmer, pers. comm., 22 November 2012). This
fading specimen was another reason for the
searches of Water- rock Point in late 2012. As the
Southern Spider-orchid C. australis could be as-
signed to a form of C. reticulata , the September
1965 specimen might have been the former spe-
cies. There are no certain records of C patersonii
for Flinders Island (Jones et al 1999).

Three other Spider-orchids have been
found just once on Flinders Island. Arch-
deacon Atkinson collected Daddy Long-
legs Caladenia filatnentosa and the Tailed
Spider-orchid C. caudata in October 1947. The
local clergyman HG Biggs found the Heart-
lipped Spider-orchid G cardiochila in the same
month. His specimen remains the sole Tasma-
nian record to date and— being found so long
ago — the orchid is scheduled, under the Tas-
manian Threatened Species Protection Act 1 995 ,
as extinct. All three labels give the localities as
just ‘Flinders Island 5 . This is disappointing as
most of the island had been named by then.
The specimens are held under number 1947B
by the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gal-
lery in Launceston. As a child, Jan Cooper, of
Flinders Island, made one excursion with the
collectors. She can recall them becoming very
excited about an orchid found west of The Long
Straight in the Blue Rocks district. She does not
recall the vicinity as being uncleared bush (Jan
Henning, pers. comm. 12 April 2013). Jones et
al. (1999) mapped the three 1947 specimens at
the same spot in north-eastern Flinders Island
but noted only that the actual site of the Heart-
lipped Spider-orchid is unknown.

The Status of the Southern Spider-orchid

The Southern Spider-orchid is still known for
certain by just the single plant collected near

42

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

Lady Barron foreshore in November 1968. The
species is scheduled, under the Threatened Spe-
cies Protection Act 1 995, as endangered in Tas-
mania. If it is not found again by November
2018, it will be classed as extinct in the State.
On present indications, it seems likely to attain
that regrettable status.

The Specimen

9.xi.l968, Beside Lady Barron foreshore,
Flinders Island at 0606594, 5547886; 40° 12'
45-7", 148° 15' 09-5"(Datum: AGD66; estimated
error: 5 metres). John Whinray C 1968, CANB
342227.

Acknowledgements

Maureen Christie provided support and assistance
from 1967 to 1972. The 16 visits of 2012 and 2013 to
Lady Barron foreshore were all made using a vehicle
kindly lent by some members of the Liapota Co-op-
erative. Jo Palmer, of CANB, supplied various details

about my specimens of the Southern Spider-orchid
and Caladenia patersonii /reticulata. Jill Thurlow, of
MEL, forwarded several useful photocopies. Dr Mark
Clements, of the Centre for Australian National Bio-
diversity Research , and Jeffrey Jeanes, of MEL, deter-
mined some orchid specimens from the water-rock.
The many drafts of this note were typed at the Online
Access Centre on Flinders Island.

References

Backhouse ON and Jeanes J ( 1995) 7 he Orchids of Victoria.

(The Miegunyah Press: Carlton. Victoria)

Carr GW (199 1) New taxa in Caladenia R.Br., Chiloglottis
R.Br., and Gastrodia R.Br. (Orchidaceae) in south eastern
Australia. Indigenous Flora & Fauna Association Miscella-
neous Paper No. 1 .

Jeanes J and Backhouse G (2006) Wild Orchids of Victoria
Australia. (Aquatic Photographies: Seaford, Victoria)

Jones D, Wapstra 1 1. Tonelli P and Harris S (1999, 7 he Orchids
of Tasmania. (The Miegunyah Press: Carlton, Victoria)
Walsh NG and Entwisle TJ (1994) Flora of Victoria. Vol 2.
(Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Received 26 April 2013; accepted 17 October 2013

Appendix: A list of the orchids of Lady Barron Water- rock

Note that the many plants of Caladenia latifolia were wiped out when the rock’s dam was destroyed.
The species has not been found elsewhere on Water-rock Point. There is now no trace of either a
Corybas sp. or a Cyrtostylis sp. at or beside the water- rock. The species that survive on the points
foreshore are listed in their stead. Before the local record was made, Thelymitra imbricata was as-
sessed as endemic to the Midlands region of the Tasmanian mainland (Jones et al 1999: 273).

Acianthus caudatus
Acianthus pusillus
Caladenia australis
Caladenia dilatata
Caladenia latifolia
Corybas fimbriatus
Cyrtostylis robusta
Diuris orientis
Microtis arenaria

Pterostylis concinna
Pterostylis melagramma
Pterostylis nutans
Pterostylis pedunculata
Thelymitra arenaria
Thelymi tra flexuosa
Thelymitra rubra
Thelymitra juncifolia
Thelymitra imbricata

One Hundred Years Ago

The Mallee : Ouyen to Pinnaroo.

Botanical notes
By A.D. HARDY

At 9.30 we were in a fine basin to the south-west of Mount Gnarr, where, in a shallow catchment, we
found water, with Cane-grass and Nardoo. Here were signs of improved water storage — old but
unmistakable traces— and we felt we were on the eve of further discovery. The depression was fringed with
mallee scrub and pine. Ascending the further rim, we came upon the old ruins of a hut and pine-log yards,
with abundant thistles, and sheep-droppings in and about the place. Here was, about 30 years ago perhaps,
an out-station of a homestead on the Murray, but abandoned through failure of the water supply. “Old hut
and yards” was the name for a point on the Sunset Track where we had camped the previous night, and
where, according to legend, some ruins had once been seen.

From The Victorian Naturalist XXX, p. 157, January 8, 1914

Vol 131 (2) 2014

43

Contributions

A review of the conservation ecology of Round-leaf Pomaderris
Pomaderris vacciniifolia F. Muell. ex Reissek (Rhamnaceae)

John Patykowski 1 , Maria Gibson 1 and Matt Dell 2

School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125
2 Biosis Pty Ltd, 38 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207

Abstract

Round-leaf Pomaderris Pomaderris vacciniifolia F. Muell. ex Reissek (Rhamnaceae) is a Victorian endemic
shrub listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and critically endangeredunder the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. A review of the available literature for P.
vacciniifolia indicated most information is anecdotal or found in unpublished works. Better understanding of
the ecology of P. vacciniifolia may help explain why it is vulnerable, and enhance future management. Future
research should focus towards better understanding of P. vacciniifolia habitat, reproductive ecology, seed dis-
persal mechanisms and competitive ability and how these compare with more common sympatric congeners,
to determine whether any differences could explain the relative success of these species. Targeted searches for
this species on public and private land are warranted to reveal additional populations and fully appreciate the
distribution of this species. ( The Victorian Naturalist 131 (2) 2014, 44-51)

Keywords:Pomaderris vaccinifolia, Rhamnaceae, conservation ecology, threatened species, seed
dispersal

Introduction

Within Australia, few studies explicitly explain
causes of rarity or uncommonness in plants.
Often, there is little other than anecdotal infor-
mation or unpublished literature available con-
cerning their ecology, which can be difficult to
access. This is the case for Round-leaf Pomader-
ris Pomaderris vacciniifolia F. Muell ex. Reissek
(Rhamnaceae), a Victorian endemic species.
The objective of this paper is to collate available
information for P. vacciniifoliay to highlight de-
ficiencies in current knowledge and to provide
direction for future research.

Pomaderris vacciniifolia (Fig. 1) is a slender
shrub with weak spreading branches, growing
to a height of 4 m (Walsh 1999; Costermans
2009). Its branchlets are greyish and covered in
stellate trichomes, with elliptic to broad-ellip-
tic leaves 8-22 mm long (usually 12-15 mm)
and 6-13 mm wide (usually 8-10 mm) (Walsh
1999), with entire margins and an obtuse tip and
base (Fig. 2). Stipules are deciduous and 1.5-2
mm long; the upper leaf surface is dark green,
smooth, glossy and glabrous; the lower surface
is greyish due to a fine, dense layer of minute
stellate trichomes, with occasional, larger, rusty,
stellate trichomes (Fig. 3). It produces small
creamy- white flowers on pedicels 2-3 mm long
(Fig. 4), with deciduous sepals 1.5-2 mm long
that are pubescent on the lower (outer) surface

(Fig. 5), and quickly deciduous spathulate pet-
als to 1.5 mm long (Walsh 1999). Flowers are
arranged in axillary, hemispherical or pyrami-
dal panicles, 10-40 mm long and wide. Small

Fig. 1. Population of Pomaderris vacciniifolia at
Chum Creek, Victoria.

44

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

Fig. 2. Lower (a) and upper (b) surface of Pomaderris vacciniifolia leaves.

Fig. 3. Scanning electron micrograph of the lower leaf surface of Pomaderris vacciniifolia
showing a dense covering of minute stellate trichomes, with the occasional larger, rusty
stellate trichome (arrowed).

Vol 131 (2) 2014

45

Contributions

Fig. 5. Scanning electron micrograph of Pomaderris
vacciniifolia flower showing the (a) glabrous adaxial
surface of sepals, (b) petals and (c) stamen. Note the
pubescence on the lower (outer) surface of sepals.

Fig. 4. Pomaderris vacciniifolia flowers displaying
the (a) pedicel, (b) sepal, (c) petal, (d) stamen and
(e) style.

bracts that subtend the flowers are deciduous
(Walsh 1999). The calyx below the free part of
the sepals is approximately 0.5 mm long. The
ovary is half-superior to superior (Walsh 1999)
and covered with stellate trichomes. The style
is tripartite in the upper part (Fig. 6). Fruits are
small, globular capsules to 2 mm wide (Walsh
1999), containing up to three hard, glossy, black
seeds (J Patykowski pers. obs.).

Conservation status

Pomaderris vacciniifolia is listed under the Flora
and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 as a threatened
species. Under the Advisory List of Rare and
Threatened Plants in Victoria (Department of
Sustainability and Environment [DSE] 2005), it
is assigned a conservation status of vulnerable.
In January 2014, it was listed as critically endan-
gered under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity' Conservtion Act 1999.

Geographic distribution

Remaining wild populations of P. vacciniifo-
lia predominantly occur in often fragmented
stands, throughout damp sclerophyll forest
in the upper catchments of the Yarra, Yea and
Plenty Rivers in Victoria in an area bounded

Fig. 6. Scanning electron micrograph of Pomader-
ris vacciniifolia flower showing the (a) tripartite style
and (b) stigma.

by Healesville, Flowerdale and Eltham (Walsh
1999; DSE 2013a) (Fig. 7). Historical records
indicate P vacciniifolia occurs around Tyers
and the Toongabbie-Cowwarr district (DSE
2013a), although records are few and dated, and
its current presence requires ground-truthing.
A small population was recently discovered at
Bunyip Streamside Reserve, in West Gippsland
(M Dell pers. obs.). It occurs within the High-
lands-Southern Fall, Highlands-Northern Fall,
Central Victorian Uplands and Gippsland Plain
bioregions.

Remaining wild populations are found on
ridgelines in moist forests and on lower slopes
in hilly foothill country, extending occasionally
into drier forests at lowland sites, elevations
ranging from 40 to 550 m (Walsh 1999; Cam-

46

The Victorian Naturalist

The Victorian

Index to

Volume 130, 2013

Compiled by KN Bell

Amphibians

Limnodynastes tasmaniensis , spawn preda-
tion by leeches 49

Release or retain, biodiversity conservation
207

Spotted Marsh Frog, spawn predation by
leeches 49

Australian Natural History Medallion

Trust fund 63

Authors

Abbott I 109

Allen T and Ellis M 212

Arbon K (see Cullen et al.) 161

Bendel S 174

Bilney RJ 68

Cardilini AP (see Lees et al.) 84
Carlos E 89 (book review)

Cheal D, Moxham C, Kenny S and Millet-
Riley J 96

Clemann N 151 (book review), 207
Cooke R 62 (book review)

Corrick M 153 (book review)

Cullen B, Inglis T, Arbon K and Robinson D
161

Dann P and Warneke RM 4
Dann P (see Lees et al.) 84
Davis H (see De Angelis et al.) 224
De Angelis D, Davis H, Jenner B and de Jong
J 224

de Jong J (see De Angelis D et al.) 224
Editors, The Victorian Naturalist 2, 66, 94,
158, 190,222
Ellis M and Allen T 212
Falconer A 202
Flanagan-Moodie AK 40
Gibson M 54 (book review), 90 (book review),
149 (book review)

Godinho L and Wilson C 182

Green K 240

Greenslade P 45

Grey E 8 1

Hubregtse V 1 39

Inglis T (see Cullen et al.) 161

Jenner B (see De Angelis et al.) 224

Kenny S (see Cheal et al.) 96

Kohout M, Zimmer H and Turner V 192

Kubiak PJ 22

Lees D, Weston MA, Sherman C, Maguire G,
Dann P, Cardilini AP and Tan L 84
Longmore NW 150 (book review)

Maguire G (see Lees et al.) 84

Maguire GS (see Rimmer et al.) 75
Millet-Riley J (see Cheal et al.) 96
Morgan J 88 (book review)

Morton A 1 45

Moxham C (see Cheal et al.) 96
Nash MA 127
New TR and Yen AL 165
Poore GCB 60 (book review)

Presland G 53 (Tribute), 86 (Tribute), 137
(Tribute), 218 (book review)

Rimmer JM, Maguire GS and Weston MA 75
Robinson D (see Cullen et al.) 161
Sherman C (see Lees et al.) 84
Simmons P 177
Straka T 59 (book review)

Tan L (see Lees et al.) 84
Turner GS 49

Turner V (see Kohout et al.) 192
Wallis R 37, 56 (book review), 57 (book re
view), 154 (book review)

Warne M 87 (book review)

Warneke RM and Dann P 4
Weston MA (see Rimmer et al.) 75
Weston M A (see Lees et al.) 84
Wilson C and Godinho L 182
Yen AL and New TR 165
Zimmer H (see Kohout M et al.) 192
Zylstra P 232

Biodiversity

Bat research, volunteer aid 182
Introduction to Biodiversity Symposium 160
Invertebrate conservation 165
Leadbeater s Possum, conservation 1 74
Partner collaboration in endangered species
recovery 1 77

Reptiles and frogs, biodiversity conservation
207

Trust for Nature 161

Urban micro-bats, use of volunteers 182

Birds

Avifauna, fire effects on, Snowy Mountains
240

Birds of Seal Rocks, Bass Strait, 4
Fairy Terns nesting, Lake Tyres 192
Hooded Plover, beach signage 75
Little Terns, nesting, Lake Tyres 1 92
Masked Lapwings, cooperative breeding 84
Sternula albifrons , nesting, Lake Tyres 192
Sternula nereis , nesting. Lake Tyres 192
Ihinornis rubricollis , beach signage 75
Vanellus miles , cooperative breeding 84

Book Reviews

A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, the
definitive work on bird identification G Piz-
zey and F Knight, ed S Pizzey (E Carlos) 89
A Guide to Australia’s Spiny Freshwater Cray
fish RB McCormack (GCB Poore) 60
A Natural History of Australian Bats - Work-
ing the Night Shift G Richards and L Hall (T
Straka) 59

Australia’s Amazing Kangaroos: their conser-
vation, unique biology and coexistence with
humans K Richardson (RL Wallis) 57
Australia’s Fossil Heritage: A catalogue of
important Australian fossil Sites A Cook>

J Magee, K Douglas, K O’Callaghan and
R Sanderson (eds) (M Warne) 87
Australian High Country Owls J Olsen (R
Cooke) 62

Australian Lizards: a natural history SK Wil-
son (N Clemann) 151

Birds of Prey of Australia: a field guide S Debus
(N W Longmore) 1 50

Curious Minds: the discoveries of Australian
naturalists P Machines (G Presland) 218
Flora of the Otway Plains & Ranges 2: Daisies,
Heaths, Peas, Saltbushes, Sundews , Wattles
and other shrubby and herbaceous dicoty-
ledons E Mayfield (M Corrick) 153
Kangaroos T Dawson (RL Wallis) 56
Planting for wildlife: a practical guide to
restoring native woodlands N Munroe and D
Lindenmayer (M Gibson) 90
Plants of Melbourne’s Western Plains: a
gardener’s guide to the original flora. 2 edn.
Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains
Group (J Morgan) 88

Plants of the Victorian High Country J Mur-
phy and B Dowling (M Gibson) 149
Snarls from the Tea- tree: Big Cat Folklore 13
Waldron and S Townsend (RL Wallis) 1 54
Wetland Weeds: Causes, Cures and Compro-
mises N Romanowski (M Gibson) 54

Botany

Acronychia oblongifolia , antler rubbings 68
Coast tea-tree, slash-burn management 212
Fire effects on Snow Gum forests 232
Leptospermum laevigatum, slash-burn man-
agement 212

Rare plant recovery, 28 spp., Mallee 96
Yellow- wood, antler rubbings 68

Fungi

Boletes at Rowville 145
Clavulina rugosa , introduced species 81
Coral fungus, introduced species 81
Phlebopus marginatus at Rowville 145

Invertebrates - Cnidarians

Stalked jelly-fish, Port Phillip Bay 202
Stenoscyphus inabai , Port Phillip Bay 202

Invertebrates - Insects

Aliens invading Australian Alps 127
European honey bee, invader, Australian
Alps 127

European wasp, invader, Australian Alps 127
Bees, sleeping fire risk 22
Collembola genus, Temeritas, in South Aust-
ralia, systematics, etc. 45
Conservation, cooperation essential 165
Temeritas, systematics, distribution, conser-
vation in South Australia 45

Invertebrates - Leeches

Leech, predation of frog spawn 49

Invertebrates - Molluscs

Grey field slug, invader, Australian Alps 127

Invertebrates - Spiders

Humped spiders at Notting Hill 139
Moratus splendens , first Victorian record 224
Peacock spider, first Victoria record 224

Localities

Australian Alps, alien invertebrates 127
Australian Alps National Park, fire influence
on Snow Gums 232

Buldah State Forest, peacock spider occur-
rence 224

East Gippsland, antler rubbings 68
Framlingham Forest, koalas 37
Lake Tyers, nesting of Little Tern, Fairy Tern
192

Mallee woodlands, rare plant species recov-
ery 96

Munyang Valley, Snowy Mountains, fire
effects on avifauna 240
Notting Hill, Humped spiders 139
Phillip Island, Masked Lapwing breeding 84
Port Phillip Bay, Stalked Jellyfish 202
Red Castle-Graytown State Forest, Eastern
Pygmy-possum 40
Rowville, large boletes 145
Seal Rocks, Bass Strait, bird fauna 4
Wonthaggi Heath lands, tea-tree management
212

Mammals and Marsupials

Bat research using volunteers 182
Cercartetus nanus in Red Castle-Graytown
State Forest 40

Cervis unicolor , antler rubbings, East
Gippsland 68

Collaboration in endangered species recov-
ery 177

Dasyurus, Aboriginal names 109
Eastern Pygmy-possum, Red Castle-Gray-
town State Forest 40

Gymnobdideus leadbeateri , conservation 1 74
Koalas at Framlingham Forest 37
Leadbeaters possum, conservation 174
Micro-bats, urban 182

Phascolarctos cinereus at Framlingham Forest
37

Quoll, Aboriginal names 109
Research using volunteers 182
Sambar deer, antler rubbings, East Gippsland
68

Miscellaneous

80 years ago (fauna survival) 173
90 years ago (tribute to LeSouef) 219

97 years ago (possums) 44

99 years ago (coastal plants: shelter and fire)
211

100 years ago (Murray Pine) 108

100 years ago (Phillip Island excursion) 21

101 years ago (forest preservation) 181
122 years ago (Planarian worms) 52

A Handbook of Destructive Insects of Victoria
248

Aboriginal names applied to Dasyurus spp.
109

Author guidelines 250
Introduction to Symposium: ‘Working to-
gether for ecological outcomes in
International Year of Cooperatives’ 160

Reptiles

Release or retain, biodiversity conservation
207

Tributes

Dorothy Mahler (G Presland) 53
Dr Noel Schleiger (G Presland) 137
Arthur Wolfgang Thies (G Presland) 86

Contributions

▲ Post 2000
• Pre 2000

Flowerdale

>nbinane

▲

•Glenburn

•Kinglake West
King Lake ^

Hufstbridge Af arraG|e *

Healesville

m

10 km

•Seville

0 25 50 75 100

Fig. 7. Distribution of Pomaderris vacciniifolia records. Data Source: ‘Victorian Biodiversity Atlas’ © The State
of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (2013), and Council of Heads of Australasian
Herbaria (2013).

eron 2006; DSE 2013a). Based on its known dis-
tribution, P. vacciniifolia is generally confined to
soils derived from Silurian or Devonian marine
sediments (usually sandstone or mudstone),
although some lowland populations occur on
alluvial soils (Douglas and Ferguson 1988; DSE
2013a).

Optimum conditions for this species appear
to occur at elevations above 300 m with 800-
1000 mm annual rainfall, where individuals
seem to exhibit faster growth, reach reproduc-
tive maturity when younger and arc longer-
lived than plants growing at lower elevations
and in drier conditions (Cameron 2006). Eco-
logical Vegetation Class modelling by the DSE
(2013) indicates that populations found under
these conditions are associated with Damp For-
est and Herb-rich Foothill Forest. These Eco-
logical Vegetation Classes (EVCs) include the
dominant canopy species Mountain Grey-gum
Eucalyptus cypellocarpa L. A. S. Johnson, Mess-
mate Stringybark E. obliqua I ’Her., Narrow-

leaf Peppermint E . radiata Sieber ex DC. subsp.
radiata and Manna Gum E. viminalis Labill.
subsp. viminalis. Less optimal habitat occurs
on lowland sites of 40 to 300 m elevation, with
650-800 mm annual rainfall. The DSE (2013b)
modelled EVCs of these areas are Valley Grassy
Forest, Creekline Herb-rich Woodland or oc-
casionally Grassy Dry Forest (DSE 2013b).
The dominant tree species for these areas are
Broad-leaf Peppermint E. dives Schauer, Bundy
E. gojvocalyx F.Muell ex Miq., Red Stringybark
E. macrorhyncha F.Muell. ex Benth. subsp. mac-
rorhyncha. Yellow Box E. meltiodora Cunn. ex
Schauer, Red Box E. polyanthemos subsp. ves-
tita L.A.S.Johnson and K.D.Hill, or on lower
slopes and terraces E. viminalis subsp. viminalis
(Cameron 2006; DSE 2013a). The recently dis-
covered population at Bunyip Streamside Re-
serve was found growing in the EVC Swampy
Woodland (M Dell pers. obs.), which includes
the dominant canopy species Swamp Gum Eu-
calyptus ovata Labill. There have been no other

Vol 131 (2) 2014

47

Contributions

observations of P vacciniifolia confirmed from
this vegetation type; however, the Kooweerup
Swamp and vegetation at its interface with
surrounding land is much depleted (Yugovic
2011), so P. vacciniifolia may have been more
widespread and frequent in this region.

Life expectancy

The estimated maximum life expectancy of P.
vacciniifolia in wild populations is 35 to 42 years
in lowland elevations and potentially 67 years or
greater at higher elevations, which are consid-
ered to provide optimum conditions (Cameron
2006). The oldest recorded specimen, found
in Castella, was presumed to have germinated
following the 1939 bushfires and was alive up
until 2006 (Cameron 2006). Natural mortality
of plants has been observed from 10 years or
more following germination, although natural
mortality and senescence may occur much later
under optimum conditions (Cameron 2006).

Flowering and reproduction

Pomaderris vacciniifolia flowers from Septem-
ber to November. Under dense shade, R vacci-
niifolia may show poor growth and flower pro-
duction and seed set may not occur (Cameron
2006). Plants growing under optimum condi-
tions may reach maturity earlier than when
grown under less optimal conditions. Flower-
ing and successful seed set were observed as
early as two years after germination following
fire (J Patykowski pers. obs.).

Insects are believed to be the primary polli-
nators of this species and hoverflies have been
observed visiting flowers (Cameron 2006). The
species emits a slight nocturnal fragrance that
may attract nectar-feeding moths, which also
have been suggested as possible pollinators
(Cameron 2006). It is unknown if this species
can self-pollinate.

Pomaderris vacciniifolia has small seeds that
mature around mid-December and early Janu-
ary, and are released from their capsules over
this period (Cameron 2006). The species is a
prolific seeder, with a single plant capable of
producing thousands of seeds (J Patykowski
pers. obs.).

Response to fire

The only documented detail about the fire re-
sponse of P. vacciniifolia comes from Cameron

(2006). He suggested that R vacciniifolia is a
useful key fire response species, adapted to fire
intervals of 15 years with a likely minimum of
10 and maximum of 25 years. Fire typically
leads to mortality due to the thin, fire sensi-
tive bark of this species. There is no record of
post-fire resprouting. The species is an obligate
seed regenerator and there is no record of other
vegetative reproduction. Obligate seed regen-
erators from fire -prone regions often have seed
that persists in soil seed banks for long periods
of time, from several decades to hundreds of
years (Baskin and Baskin 1998), and are adapt-
ed to a range of fire-related cues to promote
germination (Paula and Pausas 2008).

Seed dispersal

Studies of the persistence of P. vacciniifolia in
the soil seed bank have not been undertaken;
however, the semi-hardened seeds are sus-
pected to remain viable in the soil for at least 20
years (D Cameron pers. comm. 2013).

Attached to the small seeds of P. vacciniifolia is
an elaiosome, an oil-rich structure, which sug-
gests a likely adaptation for myrmecochorous
(ant) dispersal (Fig. 8). Such seed dispersal is
typical for Australian Pomaderris species (Berg
1975; Lengyel et al. 2009, 2010; Beaumont et al
2011).

Germination

Successful recruitment of P vacciniifolia in
the wild rarely has been observed except af-
ter fire (Cameron 2006). Mass recruitment of
P. vacciniifolia was observed following fires in
2009 at Chum Creek and Castella (S Meacher
pers. comm. 2012) and following experimen-
tal burning of Lowland Forest in Eltham (C
Beardsell pers. comm. 2012). Just and Beardsell
(201 1 ) observed mass recruitment of many rare
flora species in Kinglake National Park, with
some species reaching their largest population
numbers in decades. This included P. vaccinii-
folia , suggesting that fire is a requirement for a
significant recruitment event within a popula-
tion. Indeed, the seeds of many other species
of Pomaderris germinate en masse following
fire (Warcup 1980; Turner et al 2005; Haines
etal 2007).

Pomaderris vacciniifolia also is thought to
have a low tolerance for competition in low
light conditions, and successful recruitment

48

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

may not occur under dense shade (Cameron
2006). This again suggests a recruitment adap-
tation to changed site conditions due to land-
scape scale vegetation disturbance caused by
fire, particularly through canopy reduction and
reduced competition; however, recruitment
also may be promoted by canopy opening and
soil disturbance. Some small populations are
found along roadsides, beneath power cables
and in forest clearings, where the canopy has
been opened and soil disturbance has occurred
(Cameron 2006). Recruitment under these cir-
cumstances has occurred in the absence of fire.
This is not atypical, as many plant species have
seeds which must be brought to the soil sur-
face, or require canopy openings to germinate
(Baskin and Baskin 1998). In either case, seeds
may be adapted to high- or low-temperature
cues for germination (Baskin and Baskin 1998),
or increased exposure to light, where photore-
ceptors in seeds, such as phytochromes, act as
cues for a hormonal response signalling germi-
nation (Seo et al 2009). Others have postulated
that a break in the recent drought has prompted
the germination of many species, including P
vacciniifolia , suggesting that long-term weath-
er patterns could be linked to any decline in
populations (D Cameron pers. comm. 2012; L.
Smith pers. comm. 2012).

Threats to populations

Evidence suggests that P vacciniifolia once
occupied a much wider range; there appear
to have been more populations around west
Gippsland over the past several decades (DSE

Fig. 8. Scanning electron micrograph of Pomaderris
vacciniifolia seed with elaiosome (arrowed).

Vol 131 (2) 2014

2013a), which may have declined due to forest
management practices, changed fire regimes
or other disturbances. South-eastern Australia
is thought to have supported a hyper- diverse
sclerophyll flora during the early Pleistocene,
with diversity declining during glacial-intergla-
cial climate cycles throughout middle and late
Pleistocene (Sniderman et al. 2013). It is possi-
ble that P vacciniifolia is a relict species declin-
ing in extent throughout the Holocene, as has
been suggested for other species of Rhamnace-
ae, including several Spyridium species from
Tasmania (Coates and Kirkpatrick 1999).

Prior to European settlement in Australia, the
major cause of natural mortality for mature P.
vacciniifolia is likely to have been wildfire, and
the survival of seedlings germinating after wild-
fires probably was limited only by browsing of
young plants by native herbivores (Cameron
2006), and intra- and interspecies competition.
Land clearing poses a major threat to remaining
populations. The forests associated with larger
populations are relatively contiguous; however,
their condition is patchy. This is predominantly
due to housing development, associated fire
management practices and the installation of
roads and fire breaks throughout the range of
P. vacciniifolia.

Further threats to current populations are
likely to include browsing from native and in-
troduced herbivores, or senescence following an
extended absence of fire (Cameron 2006). Suc-
cessful recruitment of P. vacciniifolia in the wild
currently appears limited to areas that have been
burnt recently during wildfire or deliberately
managed for post-fire recruitment at optimal fire
frequencies (Cameron 2006; Just and Beardsell
2011). Protection from browsing seems to en-
hance the establishment of some populations (J
Patykowski pers. obs.). Competition from weeds
has been suggested as a key factor limiting suc-
cessful recruitment to mature status in the wild
(Just and Beardsell 201 1), although competition
from dense undergrowth of Tetrarrhena juncea
R.Br. and other native species is likely to be more
influential at most known populations (M Dell
pers. obs.). This w r as noted in areas where distur-
bance such as fire was infrequent.

Tall, exposed individuals are prone to blow-
ing over in strong winds because of their shal-
low root system (S Meacher pers. comm. 2012).

49

Contributions

Severe insect damage also has been noticed on
some specimens (J Patykowski pers. obs.). As
this species appears to favour canopy open-
ings for recruitment, some populations are
found along roadsides and under power lines,
thus, damage from vegetation slashing and
weed spraying also threatens some remaining
populations. In many areas, the soil seed bank
is likely to have become depleted of P vaccinii-
folia due to granivory, grazing of reproductively
immature plants and changes in fire regimes,
either through absence of wildfire and subse-
quent senescence of mature individuals, or due
to over-frequent burning (Cameron 2006).

Directions for future research

Better understanding of the ecology of P. vac-
ciniifolia is likely to explain why it is a vulner-
able species and thus aid the development of
appropriate management recommendations to
ensure its long-term survival.

It is unclear why Pomaderris vacciniifolia
should be restricted in range when the forest
types with which it is most commonly associ-
ated are widespread and represented by a broad
range of ages and quality. Given the diversity
of Pomaderris species in Victoria, there are op-
portunities for rare-common contrasts with P
vacciniifolia. This could include experimental
testing for limiting factors such as morphology,
physiology, anatomy and fecundity (see Baskin
and Baskin 1998; Bevill and Louda 1999; Mur-
ray et al. 2002).

A more integrated approach to identifying
factors important for a species presence can
be gained by constructing a habitat model, to
both compare theoretically relevant landscape
and site predictors and map the extent of areas
where P vacciniifolia potentially could occur.
The modelling process can identify important
elements of P. vacciniifolia environment, which
then can be appropriately considered in man-
agement prescriptions, such as the protection
of critical habitat. There are also opportunities
to undertake a detailed analysis of species asso-
ciations as other species’ presence may be used
as a surrogate for habitat suitability.

Understanding how environmental cues
for seed germination operate within P vacci-
niifolia may explain why this species has been
contracting in range. Identifying such a cue
50

and whether or not the cue has changed in fre-
quency or intensity over time (e.g. alteration of
a disturbance regime such as fire) may facili-
tate appropriate management for this species.
When preparing pre-burn planning documents
for controlled burns, an enhanced knowledge
of the fire ecology of this species may influence
decisions of when to burn, what intensity to use
and what fire frequency is appropriate, and thus
could facilitate determination of appropriate
regimes.

This species may be contracting in range be-
cause of a limited ability to spread seeds into
uncolonised or previously colonised areas, due
to poor dispersal mechanisms or through the
loss of a dispersal vector. Examining the mode
by which seeds are dispersed and the distances
seeds travel from parent plants may help to
identify, at least, why this species has not been
extending its range.

Further areas of particular research interest
could include the effects of pathogens, herbi-
cides, exotic and native herbivores, the threat of
competition from weeds and other natives, and
interspecific competition. An investigation into
the existence of any relationships with organ-
isms such as mycorrhizal fungi, ants or insect
pollinators also would be a worthwhile pursuit.
Finally, targeted searches for populations must
be undertaken in assumed suitable habitat to
fully appreciate the extent of this species’ distri-
bution, and to provide further populations for
study. Habitat modelling would assist to iden-
tify areas with high probability of presence for
targeted searches.

References

Baskin CC and Baskin JM (1998) Seeds: ecology, biogeography,
and evolution of dormancy and germination. (Academic
Press: San Diego)

Beaumont KP, Mackay DA and Whalen MA (2011) Inter-
actions between ants and seeds of two myrmocochorous
plant species in recently burnt and long-unburnt forest.
Austral Ecology 36, 767-778.

Berg R (1975) Myrmecochorous plants in Australia and
their dispersal by ants. Australian Journal of Botany 23,
475-508.

Bevill RL and Louda SM (1999) Comparisons of related rare
and common species in the study of plant rarity. Conserva-
tion Biology 13, 493-498.

Cameron DG (2006) Species Profiles and Threats (SPRAT)
database species information sheet Pomaderris vacciniifolia
(Round-leaf Pomaderris). (Commonwealth Government
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the
Arts: Canberra)

Coates F and Kirkpatrick JB (1999) Is geographic range cor-
related with climatic range in Australian Spyridium taxa?

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

Australian Journal of Botany 47, 755-767.

Costermans L (2009) Native trees and shrubs of south-eastern
Australia. (Reed New Holland, Sydney)

Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria (2013) Australian
Virtual Herbarium, http://www.chah.gov.au/avh (Accessed
November 2013)

Department of Sustainability and Environment (2005) Ad-
visory list of rare or threatened plants in Victoria. (Depart-
ment of Sustainability and Environment: East Melbourne)

Department of Sustainability and Environment (2013a) Vic-
torian Biodiversity Atlas ‘VBA_FAUNA25, FAUNA 100 &
FAUNARestricted, FLORA25, FLORA 100 & FLORA K-
estricted’ August 2010 €> The State of Victoria. (Depart-
ment of Sustainability and Environment: East Melbourne)

Department of Sustainability and Environment (2013b)
Biodiversity interactive maps, http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/
about-dse/interactive-maps (Accessed November 2013).

Douglas j and Ferguson J (1988) Geology of Victoria. (Geo-
logical Society of Australia Incorporated: Victorian Divi-
sion)

Haines L, Ennis 1 Blanchon D and Triggs C (2007) Propagat-
ing the pale flowered ku marabou ( Pomaderrrts harndtonii.
and kumarahou (Pomaderris kurneraho ) from seeds. New
Zealand Journal of Botany 45 , 9 1 - 100.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2012)
IUCN Red list categories and criteria: Version 3.1 (Second
edition). (IUCN Species Survival Commission: Gland,
Switzerland and Cambridge)

Just K and Beardsell C (2011) Threatened species manage-
ment plan for Kinglake National Park, Version 1.2, Septem-
ber 201 1. (AB7.F.CO Applied Botany, Zoology & Ecological
Consulting: Eltham)

Eengyel S, Gove AD, Latimer AM, Majer JD and Dunn
RR (2009) Ants sow the seeds of global diversification in
flowering plants. PLoS ONE 4 , e5480. doi:10. 1371/journal.
pone.0005480.

Lengyel S, Gove AD, Latimer AM, Majer JD and Dunn RR
(2010) Convergent evolution of seed dispersal by ants, and

phylogeny and biogeography in flowering plants: A global
survey. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Svstem-
atics 12, 43-55.

Murray BR, Thrall PH, Gill AM and Nicotra AB (2002) How
plant life-history and ecological traits relate to species rar-
ity and commonness at varying spatial scales. Austral Ecol-
ogy 27, 291-310.

Paula S and Pausas JG (2008) Burning seeds: germinative re-
sponse to heat treatments in relation to resprouting ability.
Journal of Ecology 96 , 543-552.

Sco M, Nambara E, Choi G and Yamaguchi S (2009) Inter-
action of light and hormone signals in germinating seeds.
Plant Molecular Biology 69 , 463-472.

Sniderman JMK, Jordan GJ and Cowling RM (2013) Fossil
evidence fora hyperdiver.se sclerophyll flora under a non-
Mediterranean -type climate. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences 110 , 3423 3428.

Turner SR, Merritt DJ, Baskin CC, Dixon KW and Baskin JM
(2005) Physical dormancy in seeds of six genera of Austral-
ian Rhamnaceae Seed Science Research 15, 51-58.

Walsh NG (1999) Rhamnaceae. In Flora of Victoria. Vol 4 Di-
cotyledons: Cornaceae to Asteraceae , pp. 82-109. (Eds NG
Walsh and T] Hntwisle) (Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Warcup ) (1980) Effect of heat treatment of forest soil on
germination of buried seed. Australian Journal of Botany
28. 567-571.

Yugovic J (2011) Ecology of the Kooweerup Swamp and as-
sociated grasslands. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Vic-
toria 123, 172-188.

Received 29 August 2013; accepted 14 November 2013

One Hundred Years Ago

The Mallee : Ouyen to Pinnaroo.

Botanical notes

By A.D. HARDY

Riding reluctantly away from Pink Lakes, we passed through fine savannah, well grassed and with a
sprinkling of Eucalyptus uncinata , &c. Here the quandong trees bore fruit in plenty, and looked very
ornamental. The quandong fruit is spheroidal, and at maturity the pericarp, reddish-coloured on the
outside, is semi-succulent and sweetish and % inch thick, enclosing a spherical nut with extremely hard,
wrinkled, and pitted shell, of about 3 4 inch diameter. This is Fusanus (Santalurn) acuminatus. The Ming,
Ming-Quandong, or Bitter Quandong, F. persicarius , differs in general appearance so slightly that it is dif-
ficult to discriminate, especially as the two rarely grow in the same locality,

the Ming favouring poorer ground than the Quandong. The chief differences appear to be in the
payability of the Quandong, and its smaller and more wrinkled and pitted nut-shell, as against the
larger, smoother nut-shell of the Ming, coupled with bitterness of the pericarp. Bushmen, however, can at a
distance identify either species, so there must be, to them, some marked difference in general
appearance. The leaves of both are narrow lanceolate and more or less acuminate. The emu, which is an agent
in dispersal of the seed, shows no favour to either species.

From The Victorian Naturalist XXX, p. 158, January 8, 1914

Vol 131 (2) 2014

51

Naturalist Notes

The name game

Having received the (dubious, some might say)
honour of having a species of Australian frog
named after me, I was led to reflect on some
of the quirks and curiosities of the system
which endows animals (and plants) with names
dreamed up by scientists. ‘My’ frog is called Up-
eroleia martini (one of my colleagues instantly
and unkindly remarked: Sounds more like a
new kind of drink than a new kind of frog). In
the description of the animal it is said to have
‘moderately long hind limbs’ and ‘no webbing
between the toes’, which I can live with quite
comfortably. On the other hand it also pos-
sesses ‘a well -developed supracloacal flap’ and
‘cream patches in the groin’, which are the kinds
of thing you don’t like even your closest friends
to know about.

In fact, though, when an animal is named af-
ter a person, it is not because of any perceived
resemblance; it is usually because the person
either discovered the species or contributed
in a significant way to knowledge of the par-
ticular group of animals. Thus, in this case, I
have worked and published quite extensively
on frogs in the genus Uperoleia. Similarly there
are Australian frogs named for other biologists
who have made important contributions to our
knowledge of the frog fauna: daviesae for Mar-
garet Davies, littlejohni for Murray Littlejohn,
spenceri for Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer, tyleri
for Michael Tyler, and so on.

I know of one case (no doubt there are more)
where a mischievous describer used someone’s
name in a derogatory sense. In 1855 William
Blandowski returned from a fish-collecting
expedition to the junction of the Murray and
Darling Rivers, and set out to publish descrip-
tions of the specimens in the Transactions of
the Philosophical Society of Victoria (later to
become The Royal Society of Victoria). Dispas-
sionate science? No — rather a vehicle for airing
his grudges against members of the Society.
Cernua eadesii, for instance, named in ‘honour’
of Dr Richard Eades, was characterised as ‘a fish
easily recognised by its low forehead, big belly

and sharp spine.’ The scandalised members of
the Society understandably ensured that publi-
cation was suppressed.

Species don’t have to be named after people; in-
deed the practice is often frowned upon because
such name derivations don’t tell you anything
about the animal itself. There are, as instances of
more informative names, other species of Upero-
leia called crassa (Latin, fat or heavy), micromeles
(Greek, mikros small; Greek, melos limb), rugosa
(Latin, wrinkled) and trachyderma (Greek, tra-
chys rough; Greek, derma skin).

This practice may, however, be accompanied
by pitfalls of another kind: does the chosen
name provide an accurate description of the
animal? Is sapiens (Latin, wise) really an appro-
priate designation for ourselves? The Swamp
Antechinus is Antechinus minimus (Latin min-
imus, smallest), despite the fact that it is among
the larger species in the genus. But it is much
smaller than members of the genus Dasyurus,
in which it was originally placed. There is an
Australian tree-frog with the specific name
caerulea (Latin: blue); in fact it is bright green.
It turns out that it was described on the basis
of an alcohol-preserved dead specimen, and in
preservative the green fades to grey-blue. Yet
another Australian frog, Limnodynastes tasm-
aniensis, is indeed found in, but is by no means
restricted to, Tasmania.

Despite the rigid set of rules that governs the
whole business of genus and species names,
ingenious taxonomists do find ways to play
games with them. The mosquito genus Aedes ,
renowned for its irritating bite, includes among
its species tormentor and excrucians ; there is a
Canadian biting fly that goes under the name
Chrysops cursim. In happier vein, English
hemipteran specialist George Kirkaldy coined
the Greek-sounding term chisme (pronounced
‘kiss me’) and built a seductive series of bug
generic names on it, including Polychisme ,
Marichisme , Dolichisme , Peggichisme and the
all-embracing invitation Ochisme. And, believe
it or not, there is an Australian sphecid wasp

52

The Victorian Naturalist

Naturalist Notes

called Aha ha. The story goes that in 1977 John
Evans (then Director of the Australian Muse-
um, Sydney) sent some wasp specimens to an
American colleague and wasp researcher; on
inspection of the contents of the package the
recipient reportedly exclaimed ‘Aha! A new ge-
nus of wasp!’ There turned out to be two spe-
cies present which he duly named Aha evansi,
in honour of the sender; and (never one to let a
glorious opportunity go by) Aha ha.

If, in the spirit of the game, you try to track
down the longest scientific animal name of all
time, you’ll come up with a small, shrimp-like
crustacean that lives in Lake Baikal and is called
Brachyuropuskkyodermatogammarus greivling-
wmnemnotus. As far as my Greek and Latin go,
its the crustacean with a short tail [and| feet
[found on] a dogs skin, [named] in memory of
W. Greivling’. I haven’t been able to verify this
name and in any case I’m not impressed: surely
it’s just a transparently jokey attempt to create the
longest and silliest name possible. On the other
hand, I do have a soft spot lor the shortest name
on record: la io , an Asian bat. la was a beautiful
maiden in Greek mythology; Io, a priestess who
became one of Zeus’ lovers (as well as being a
moon of Jupiter). Writing at a time before politi-
cal correctness became obligatory, the describes
Oldfield Thomas (1902), explained that use of
the names recognised that young women and
bats are equally flighty creatures.

And one more element of the name game can
produce some oddities. The full scientific name
of each creature also includes the name of its
author or authors— that is, the person or peo-
ple who described it — and the year in which the
description was published. Thus the absolutely
complete name of ‘my’ frog is Uperoleia martini
Davies and Littlejohn, 1986. The green frog that
we met earlier was described by a John White,
adding yet another hue to its green/blue confu-
sion. But my current favourite is to be found
in Acta Geologica Sinica (2012), where the
description of a new genus and species of pte-
rosaur, Moganopterus zhuiana , is to be found.
Four authors take joint credit for discovery
and description of this fossil reptile, and their
names are Lii, Pu, Xu and Wu. What a shame
they didn’t also describe la io!

References

Davies M and Littlejohn MJ (1986) Frogs of the genus Upero-
leia Gray (Anura: I eptodactylidae) in south eastern Aus-
tralia. Transactions of the Royal Society oj South Australia
109 . 111 - 143 .

Lii J, Pu H, Xu I and Wu Y (2012) l argest toothed pterosaur
skull from the Barly Cretaceous Yixian Formation of west-
ern Liaoning, China, with comments on the family Bor-
eopteridae. Acta Geologica Sinica 86, 287-293.

Thomas O (1902) On two new mammals from China. Annals
and Magazine of Natural History 10 (Ser. 7) 163 166.

Angus Martin

Honorary Principal Fellow in Zoology,
The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052

One Hundred Years Ago

The Mallee : Ouyen to Pinnaroo.

Botanical notes
By A.D. HARDY

On ascending a small sandy rise of the better sort we looked down into a depression, and were
astonished to see a lake of fair size surrounded by low sand-hills, and bright pink in colour, rendered more
conspicuous by the green of the pines, quandongs, sandalwood, cabbage, and the rest of the group
previously mentioned, and which almost surround the lake. There are four of these lakes close together,
and the fact that they are situated at a spot where on old maps “Salt Lakes” was recorded, suggests that the
lakes were known before, but were not then pink. 'Hie colour is in the salt, not in the water, as far as one
could judge, A small quantity of the shallow water appeared colourless as a similar quantity from “the deep
blue sea," and seems due to chemical impurity in the salt, and not to an organism, such as a microscopic
alga. At the leeward side of the larger lake a fringe of drowned insects— mostly Coleoptera, and containing
“lady-birds," &c.— marked a ripple limit, beyond which was a strip of wet pink salt. Outside this was a belt
of dry, almost white salt, but with intense pink showing at any fracture or vent, and then mud and sand,
salsolaceous plants, and grassy slope up to the edge of the depression, where grew a variety of trees already
named and Mallee eucalypts.

From The Victorian Naturalist XXX, p. 158, January 8, 1914

Vol 131 (2) 2014

53

Naturalist Notes

Kerfuffle in the tree tops

While staying at Thurra River in Croajingolong
National Park, my wife and I with two friends
witnessed one of the best nature events ot my
70 years. It occurred on 30th November 2013.
My lady friend and 1 are both keen birders and
we became interested in unusual calls coming
from an acacia sapling of about 4 to 5 metres
and quite close to our camping spot. When we
investigated we were surprised to find that the
calls were coming from several Yellow-faced
Honeyeaters. They were making soft whimper-
ing type noises that we had not heard before.
My friend then observed a large snake (Fig. 1)
about two metres up the tree. The snake was
trying to reach out to a nest. At this stage, we
were unsure of what species it was.

We watched as the snake tried to manoeu-
vre along a quite slender branch to the nest.
The snake could not place much weight on
the branch so it kept the bulk of its length at-
tached to the trunk and gradually extended
itself towards the nest, partially elevating itself
as it stretched out. After about five minutes, it

managed to take a large chick from the nest and
then spent a couple of minutes devouring it.

The snake then had to extricate itself from the
tree. Its first attempts were to try and double
back on itself to the trunk of the tree. It tried
this for several minutes without success. It then
extended itself as far as possible from the trunk
and hung towards a lower branch. It swayed and
searched again for several minutes until it sim-
ply dropped to the ground (Fig. 2), the branch
below it breaking its fall sufficiently to prevent
any injury. Now we were able to clearly identify
the reptile as a Tiger Snake of between 1.5 and
2 metres in length. We shepherded the snake
some metres from our camp where it curled up
under some bushes for a well earned rest.

This whole event probably took in excess of
20 minutes and kept us and another nearby
camper quite enthralled.

Ken Harris

59 Strickland Drive
Wheelers Hill, Victoria. 3150
Email: harriskv@optusnet.com.au

Fig. I . Tiger Snake hunting in the tree tops.

54

The Victorian Naturalist

Naturalist Notes

Fig. 2. Tiger Snake after a successful hunt.

Bird’s nest in birdbath!

On 13 January 2014, while walking with my
six-year-old grandson near the eastern end of
Normanby Road in the Melbourne suburb of
Notting Hill (Melway map 70 J10), we found a
birds nest on the footpath near a eucalypt. The
nest was made of thin strips of bark and lined
with a white, fluffy synthetic material. 1 put it in
our collection bag of interesting items’, brought
it home, and later left it on the ground in our
garden. The next day, when 1 went to refill one
of our birdbaths, 1 was surprised to find the
bird’s nest soaking in it.

I took the nest out of the birdbath and put it
back where I had left it the previous day. On 8
February 2014, 1 found what was left of the nest
in the same birdbath, and this time took the op-
portunity to photograph it (Fig. 1).

Two Little Ravens visit this birdbath regularly,
often bringing pieces of bread, and occasion-
ally bones, which they soak in the water. They
are the only creatures in this area that would be
likely to transport the nest to the birdbath, and
presumably did so because they thought the
white synthetic material might be edible when
soaked. The distance between the birdbath and
the place where I had put the nest is 2.8 m, and
the bath is 300 mm above the ground. The nest
was very light in weight.

Soaking food in birdbaths is a common be-
haviour in corvids and has been reported fre-
quently (e.g. Inglis 1991; McMillan 1992; Slee
1992; Reid and Reid 1996; Slee 1996; Mackenzie
and Mackenzie 2008), but to date I have found
no reference to corvids soaking a bird’s nest.

Vol 131 (2) 2014

55

Naturalist Notes

Savage (1995: 2-3) gave an interesting account
of a crow that took water to its food, rather than
food to the water:

In the late 1960s, a ... crow lived at the Allee
Laboratory of Animal Behavior at the University
of Chicago, where ... it was fed partly on dried
mash which its keepers were supposed to mois-
ten. But sometimes (being merely human) they
forgot. The crow, undaunted, would then pick up
a small plastic cup that had been provided as a
toy, dip it into a water trough, carry the filled cup
across the room to the food and empty the water
onto the mash ... The bird had not been taught
to do this/

At our birdbath, bones and bread are again
the order of the day.

References

Inglis B (1991) Soft bones for crows. The Bird Observer 715,
130.

Mackenzie B and Mackenzie R (2008) Our Resident ‘Crow’.
Vie Chat 39, 3-

McMillan M (1992) How to feed muppets - Soak the bones!
The Bird Observer 726, 12.

Reid D and Reid S (1996) Corvus coronoides - not just a
pretty face. The Bird Observer 766, 7.

Savage C ( 1995) Bird brains : Vie intelligence of crows, ravens,
magpies and jays. (Sierra Club Books: San Francisco)

Slee JE (1992) Little Raven eating toast. The Bird Observer
723, 12.

Slee JE (1996) Bread dunking a common practice for Ravens.
The Bird Observer 769, 9.

Virgil Hubregtse

6 San iky St
Notting Hill, Victoria 3168

Fig. 1. Remains of birds nest soaking in birdbath.

56

The Victorian Naturalist

Book Reviews

Fur Seals and Sea Lions

by Roger Kirkwood and
Simon Goldsworthy

Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood,
2013. 160 pages, paperback, colour plates,
ISBN 9780643096929. RRP $39.95

When I first opened Kirkwood and Goldswor-
thy’s Fur Seals and Sea Lions , I had intended
to do little more than flick briefly through its
pages, perhaps taking a glimpse at the Table of
Contents, An hour later, I found myself thor-
oughly engrossed, Roger Kirkwood and Simon
Goldsworthy know their pinnipeds (seals), and
both have published extensively on this group
of marine mammals. Here, they focus on otari-
ids (fur seals and sea lions) that breed along the
coast of southern Australia, though species that
breed in Australian subantarctic and Antarctic
territories also are described briefly.

The book draws on recent research and histor-
ical information to provide a fascinating sum-
mary of the history, ecology and physiology of
southern Australian seals, as well as the factors,
both potential and realised, that threaten them.
The introduction in Chapter One presents a
brief account of the discovery and subsequent
decline of seals due to harvesting in the region,
and describes the marine habitat of southern
Australia. Chapter Two summarises the evolu-
tion, taxonomic history and harvesting of seals.
An absorbing discussion of morphological and
physiological adaptations to the challenges
posed by life in the marine ecosystem is present-
ed in Chapter Three, while Chapter Four pro-
vides descriptions of the various species likely to
be encountered in southern Australian waters.
This chapter equips the reader with the neces-
sary information to aid in seal identification.

The reproductive biology of the various spe-
cies is well covered in Chapter Five. Here, the
behaviour and reproductive physiology of both
pups and adults during the breeding, pup pro-
visioning and weaning periods are discussed in
detail, including the asynchronous, extended

AUlTRAltAM SATUOAI MtTOftV SCRICS ]

FUR SEALS
AND SEA LIONS

breeding period of Australian sea lions, and
theories behind its evolution. Chapter Six de-
scribes the diets and foraging strategies of the
three species, as well as methods needed to
study these parameters, even including photos
of the identifiable ear bones of fish that are re-
covered from scats in dietary analyses. Similarly,
the challenges presented in estimating popula-
tion size and trends are included in a discussion
of otariid population biology in Chapter Seven.
In this section, population trends are inferred
from historic and current information, and an
interesting section on population genetics is in-
cluded. A discussion of the role of pathogens
and parasites in regulating seal populations
leads nicely into the final chapter on the con-
servation and management issues facing south-
ern Australian seals.

Fur Seals and Sea Lions is written mainly for
the interested layperson, though some sec-
tions assume a degree of background biological
knowledge. The book is generally well written
and structured, with subheadings allowing the
reader to quickly identify particular sections
of interest. However, the book’s main strength
lies in the variety of topics it covers. It answers

Voi 131 (2) 2014

57

Book Reviews

many of the questions I have asked over the
years and even some that I had yet to realise I
had — until their answers were revealed in the
book. The comparison of otari id morphology is
extremely useful to all who have ever wondered
which species of fur seal they have encoun-
tered.

Grey-scale figures and tables scattered
throughout the book enhance the discussion in
the text but the colour plates near the end of the
book are particularly appealing. These illustrate
well the information provided in the text, and
are at once fascinating and confronting. They
include photos of seals at play on land, in the
water and beneath the surface, a visual com-
parison of different age and sex classes of the
three species, and the birthing of a pup. One

plate even offers a rare glimpse of an Australian
sea lion instrumented with a crittercam at sea.
Several photos of seals entangled in a variety of
materials reinforce the impacts of humans on
seals, and some of the issues facing the conser-
vation and management of these charismatic
marine animals.

Overall, I found this book thoroughly enjoy-
able; it was easy to read, relevant and engag-
ing. It would complement any natural history
library and I recommend it to anyone with an
interest in marine mammals, as well as anyone
without — this book will surely pique the inter-
est of even the most indiff erent reader.

Nicole Schumann

1/11 Lane Rd,
Ferntree Gully, Victoria 3156

Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia

by Marion Anstis

Publisher: New Holland, Sydney. 2013.

831 pages, hardcover, colour photographs,
monochrome technical drawings, ISBN
9781921517310. RRP $125 ($145 for the
limited edition, ISBN 9781921517167, signed,
individually numbered)

Few natural processes engage the young (and
not-so-young) budding zoologist as much as
the triphasic lifecycle of a typical frog. From
egg to tadpole to young frog, many have
watched in wonder. So it is a little surprising
that guides to Australian frogs typically provide
only cursory mention of the eggs and tadpoles
of each species. That changed around a decade
ago when Marion Anstis produced the first de-
finitive guide to the eggs and larvae of a cohort
of Australian frogs: Tadpoles of South-eastern
Australia: A Guide with Keys. Although that
book ‘raised the bar for amphibian field guides
in this country, Anstis was not satisfied by ei-
ther the modern crop of frog books, or even her
own seminal work. She was determined to pro-
duce a book that covered in detail all lifecycle

Tadpoles and

Fl'OgS of Australia

Marion Anstis

phases of all Australian amphibians— a monu-
mental task! Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia is
the culmination of that vision.This book is not
intended to be a field guide — it is a full-blown,
comprehensive reference book, and has the
physical stature to match. It is wonderfully large
and heavy and, in an era of e-books and online
publications, for a bibliophile like me this tome

58

The Victorian Naturalist

Book Reviews

is as much a joy to hold as it is to behold! It
won’t fit in the glove-box of most vehicles, and
it will quickly tire the fittest fieldworkers should
they carry it into the field— although I have no
doubt that many keen herpetologists will have
this book on the back seat of their field vehicle.

As well as the usual preliminaries, including
a glossary (which is a necessity— I certainly
didn’t know the meaning of nidicolous’l), the
book is divided into three parts. Part 1 ‘Prelimi-
nary background’ commences with frog classi-
fication, before detailing the 46 developmental
stages for aquatic tadpoles, from fertilised egg
to fully metamorphosed frog (as well as a sepa-
rate section for those fewer species that develop
in terrestrial or semi -terrestrial environments).
The collection and raising of eggs and tadpoles
is explained, and predators of tadpoles are de-
scribed. Conservation issues relevant to am-
phibians are covered— a pressing topic in an era
of catastrophic losses and declines of amphibi-
ans. Conservation is a theme repeated through-
out the book, and Anstis can rest assured that
this book will be an immensely valuable tool for
conservation biologists throughout Australia.

Part 2 ‘A look at features’ provides detailed
coverage of morphology and features for each
of the lifecycle phases typical of frogs, and in -
eludes the oral disc, an important diagnostic
feature of many tadpoles. A key to the genera
of tadpoles is included, as is a guide to the types
of egg clusters. The key is necessarily technical,
but it is underpinned by matching explanatory
detail throughout the book, and the guide to
egg clusters— accompanied by photographs
of the 23 types — is enormously valuable for
identifying species or genera when adults and
tadpoles are not conspicuous, or cannot be ob-
served closely, at breeding sites.

Part 3 ‘Life histories’ contains identification
keys for the eggs and tadpoles of each genus,
followed by meticulously detailed profiles of
most species of Australian frogs. Rather than
selecting a random profile to describe here, for
sentimental reasons I turned to a species named
in honour of Victorian frog legend Murray Lit-
tlejohn. The profile of Litoria littlejohni contains

three photographs of adult frogs, photographs
of the lateral, dorsal and ventral surfaces of the
tadpole, another of the tadpole’s mouthparts,
photographs of an egg cluster and a juvenile
frog, and beautifully detailed technical draw-
ings of the tadpole and its mouthparts. There
is a distribution map, which details breeding
sites of L. littlejohni , a description of the adult
frog, and seasonality and type of mating call.
Embryos are described, including the type of
egg clutch (referenced to the earlier egg cluster
guide), followed by descriptions of the ovum,
capsule and hatchlings. Tadpoles are described,
including size and detail of the tadpole’s body
and oral disc. Seasonal timing of metamorpho-
sis is provided, along with a description of the
behaviour of tadpoles. Finally, there is a section
to help differentiate between similar species. In-
credibly, this coverage is extended to a further
214 species! This is slightly less than the total
number of described Australian frogs (241); the
remainder are species for which relevant infor-
mation was not available at the time of writing.

The publisher tells us that there are 3060 pho-
tographs and drawings; I did not try to verify
this, but there is no question that every topic
and species is illustrated with high quality im-
ages. The retail price is not a trilling amount,
and before I saw this book I wondered whether
it would be worth the outlay. Having had time
to appreciate the quality, scale, scope and use-
fulness of this book, I believe it is actually a
terrific bargain. Is the book flawless? Of course
not. But pointing out rare (and very minor!)
typographical errors feels a little like noting an
errant paintbrush hair on the ceiling of the Sis-
tine Chapel. In short this is a landmark book by
a remarkable natural historian and scientist It
is an instant classic, and the new bible of Aus-
tralian frogs.

Nick Clemann

Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research
Department of Environment and Primary Industries
123 Brown St, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084

Vol 131 (2) 2014

59